In “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans From the Civil War to World War II,” Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Wall Street Journal bureau chief Douglas A. Blackmon unearthed a dark chapter in American history.

Blackmon’s 2008 book exposes the little-known, shameful fact that thousands of African-American convicts were sold to commercial interests after the Civil War – and well into the 20th century – as part of what the author terms the “age of neoslavery.” Inspired by this influential book as well as German artist’s Anselm Kiefer’s response to the Holocaust, Robert Claiborne Morris decided to create a series of mixed-media paintings exploring the emotional history of post-Civil War slavery in the South.

This Savannah artist, who also serves as the director of external affairs for the Georgia Ports Authority, began a personal odyssey in search of images, objects and artifacts related to post-Civil War enslavement. From Georgia to North Carolina, he collected objects at junk yards and flea markets, juxtaposing found objects in his assemblages in an effort to understand the spiritual darkness of re-enslavement and, ultimately, to promote reconciliation.

In “Slavery by Another Name: Paintings and Assemblages by Robert Claiborne Morris,” currently on display at the Telfair Academy, Morris integrates portraits of the re-enslaved, maps of slave mines, historic newspaper articles, blood money and letters to the Department of Justice pleading for mercy in his mixed-media paintings. He also incorporates physical symbols of bondage, like ropes, locks and chains.

“Doug Blackmon brought this ugly, unfortunate part of our past to the collective American history dialogue through his book,” said Telfair Museums’ curator Tania Sammons, who organized the “Slavery by Another Name” exhibit. “Robert Morris tries to process Doug’s material and other similar stories in Savannah and throughout the South in a creative way that also communicates a core message that slavery extended beyond 1865.”

This solo exhibit is part of the Telfair’s larger exploration of the subject of slavery and freedom in Savannah. Morris recently spoke with the Savannah Morning News about his landmark collaboration with author Douglas Blackmon, the oppressive weight of history and the transcendent power of art.

How did your partnership with “Slavery By Another Name” author Douglas Blackmon come about?

Doug and I first met and became friends back in 1990 when we both worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and were both interested in covering politics and race. I first read the articles Blackmon wrote in the Wall Street Journal on this subject more than 10 years ago. I spoke to him during the course of his decision to write and during the writing of the book. I was intrigued and inspired by the thoroughness of investigative journalism and the intensity of his literary voice. As I watched his work grow and encouraged him to complete the book, the landmark reporting he was undertaking impacted me artistically. When he sent me an early proof of the manuscript some four years ago, I began to re-examine my understanding of slavery and re-enslavement in this country.

Why did this book inspire you personally?

It was of particular interest to me as my family, who were early settlers in North Carolina, owned plantations and slaves. I felt personally connected to this history and decided almost four years ago to begin exploring these themes artistically.

How did your creative collaboration with Douglas Blackmon evolve over the years?

When the book was first published, Doug came to the Savannah Book Festival to read. At that time, Joni Saxon-Giusti, the owner of The Book Lady, suggested that Doug and myself do a joint art opening/reading at the store. We both readily agreed and set a date a few months out. However, about a month before the event was to occur, Doug’s book won the Pulitzer Prize and Joni had the great good sense to move the event to the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Some 400 people showed up. Shortly after that event, we were asked to bring the collaboration of art and words to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C, which we did. From there we did an event in Atlanta in the Castleberry Arts District and now the Telfair Museum.

What kind of research did you do to prepare for such an ambitious project?

When I first began to work with these themes, I did extensive research at the Georgia Historical Society here in Savannah and reproduced articles and advertisements for and about slavery on family documents dating back to the early 20th century. I liked both the texture and aged color of the paper, but also the link to my family that bore some complicity in this difficult chapter of American history. The papers were actually letters to and from my grandfather, Joseph Upchurch, who served in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. As my work evolved, I began searching for additional artifacts and objects from this era to include in paintings and assemblages.

Where did you find the various materials you incorporate into your assemblages?

I threw a wide net and began visiting flea markets, junk shops, antique stores, abandoned farm houses and sharecropper’s shacks across the South from Georgia to North Carolina collecting materials. I mined the marshes and banks of the Savannah River at low tide for old parts of ships, shackles, wheels, chains, glass, locks and driftwood.

Why was it important to you to use authentic materials from the re-enslavement era in your work?

I wanted the pieces to live and breathe life into those who had no voice until now. The glow that comes from some of the materials was both beautiful and haunting. As I collected and returned to my studio with the pieces, they would sometimes sit for months, even years, before finding a home in one of the pieces. Having the found objects near to me helped me construct in my mind what was possible as I began to work in larger dimensions.

Why did the whole idea of re-enslavement appeal to you as a theme? What have you learned through this creative process?

The re-enslavement theme appealed to me because it speaks to the core of who I am as a person and an artist. It gave me an opportunity to employ my art to capture humanity and history and hopefully help mutual understanding and reconciliation. I learned so much during the four or so years I have worked on this series, but most of all I learned that the artistic process is one of the most mysterious and spiritual experiences for me. Bringing to life the faces, bodies, settings of the men who were cast back into slavery after the Civil War ended often brought chills to me as I worked in my studio. It was an amazing experience and convinced me that the artist’s job is to bear witness and to focus on the improvement and revelation of man’s soul.

You’ve mentioned before that art has the power to transform and to enlighten. What do you hope people will realize about issues relating to slavery and oppression by seeing your work at the Telfair Academy?

I hope that people will look at paintings like “This Wound Will Never Heal” – actually look into the eyes of that dying man – and experience, just for a moment, something of the hell he endured.

Your earlier forays into painting have focused primarily on coastal landscapes and seascapes, but your latest exhibit has a strong thematic focus. How do you feel your work is evolving over the years?

I think my work has evolved in a way that allows me to employ any object or medium to achieve a creative goal. It is an exciting place to be, like flying without wings.

IF YOU GO

What: “Slavery by Another Name: Paintings and Assemblages by Robert Claiborne Morris”

A special screening of the new PBS documentary “Slavery by Another Name,” directed by noted filmmaker Sam Pollard (producer of “Eyes on the Prize II,” director of “Zora Neal Hurston: Jump at the Sun”) Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Douglas Blackmon, the film explores insidious new forms of forced labor that emerged in the American South between the Civil War and World War II. After the screening, the audience will engage in a Q&A with author Douglas Blackmon, director Sam Pollard and artist Robert Claiborne Morris.